Attawapiskat-- Idle No More!

Editorial by- Shelley Bluejay Pierce
January 13, 2013

Do any of my readers remember this picture? I wonder how many will recall the serious story line that  accompanied this photo and the pleas for help that rang out in my coverage posted here in full:  Attawapiskat- Life or Death Battle for an Education

This was in January 2009 and we jump ahead to January 2013. 

I am preparing for a radio interview tomorrow and I realize how incredibly difficult, if not impossible, it is for the mainstream public to gain access to truth in the media. 

Having been a White House level investigative journalist, I know that getting to the real truths behind a story is made very difficult by those who twist and spin the information that they release to reporters. As I watch the whole media spin unfold around Chief Theresa Spence, I cringe knowing that she is literally between a rock and a hard place. She is putting her very life on the line for the beliefs and welfare of her People at Attawapiskat. And yet, if she doesn't play some of the political games and deal with the ravenous media, she loses her ability to get funding and a spotlight in the news which allows her some opportunity to speak out their causes. 

The injustice here is that the People in Attawapiskat are doing so very much in the social media outlets and even in representing themselves in Ottawa but their opinions and voiced complaints are never heard. Mainstream journalists are often assigned a story a day to cover and get the highlights so their release goes to press by the deadline. This leaves no time to speak with anyone but spin-doctors or those in the highlight of a subject matter. The common people are rarely given an opportunity to speak.

I was given the distinct honor to work with Jacqueline House from Six Nations and learned firsthand how difficult it was to keep up with the rapidly changing information from inside the leadership there. So often, the true and real news that was happening on the ground and inside the meetings with the leadership at Six Nations was blatantly ignored by mainstream media.

Once again, I see this system that does not work for the Chief and the People in Attawapiskat. I was again given the great honor to work with some tribal members in Attawapiskat during the early days of their cry for help when they had no drinking water and had homes and school buildings placed atop toxic dumpsites that were poisoning the People. I remember hammering on doors of news outlets asking for journalist coverage, making telephone calls to some of the biggest relief agencies out there....I was rudely rebuked and ignored by a Native environmental group when I begged for help to get clean drinking water to the people in Attawapiskat. 

I remember back to when many people I spoke to would ask me again, "Ok, wait...you are calling about what? where? What or who is an Attawa..."  They didn't even know how to pronounce the name of the reserve these Cree live at. Those were the early days and my precious relations up there in the far North country have never given up nor backed off with their determination to make their reserve a safe and healthy place to live. They are truly some of my heroes.

We arrive now in 2013. Out of nowhere, this incredible power in the mainstream media has happened. Chief Spence from Attawapiskat and her hunger strike is something that the mainstream media can sink their teeth into and run with very quickly. They have seized the great moment in the spotlight and run to their editors with their quickly concocted stories so the story could run before deadline.

Now....let me tell you a real truth here folks. The reason that I left mainstream journalism all together is because of this very behavior. A good story creates a feeding frenzy. Journalists are swarming and snapping up the bits of information to create a sensationalized story. The goal is to snatch the best bits and having no time, they often ignore digging into all the nooks and crannies of the story. The goal is never to have a prolonged relationship with and near the people involved behind the scenes who can relay the true story. That is not what they are paid to do. They are paid to grab the best highlights and run with it and then jump onto the next sensation.

I have known some of the people at Six Nations and Attawapiskat for many years now. I love some as if they are my family. I embrace their causes and I will fight to the end beside them to achieve the simple fair deal they so justly deserve. But, even with having known them this long and having heard their inside stories for many years, I still would never speak FOR them or try to seem as though my words and opinions are THEIR words. 

These beautifully strong and empowered People have their own voices and their own unified power. They do not need a journalist to run at the mouth in public on their behalf, though I am honored that they have allowed me to speak out in support of their causes publically.

We all know the names "Six Nations" and "Attawapiskat" now. The whole world has perhaps had the chance to learn about Chief Spence and her hunger strike that she takes on simply so she gains audience with a leadership that she should always have free access to. But now, she must starve herself for over a month and deal with a media circus..... simply to make her People's position heard.

Today, I voice my disgust and anger at outdated systems that need to be replaced with those that work for the protection of the Earth and all things upon it. The Grandmothers and Grandfathers are sharing their wisdom and guidance. The young ones are willing and empowered to withstand whatever comes at them for this is our time.... we the People, are truly, IDLE NO MORE.

Shelley Bluejay Pierce

Mubick Wamni Wiya-- I am a proud Canadian Metis

January 13, 2013